Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

The First Test

Noren shook me gently out of my chat with Jafnadr.
'It's time for us to move on.' he said.
'Have you worked out where to?'
'I think so.'
'Will we be coming back here?'
'Best to take all our gear with us, but carry the mail.'
'We still need to look unthreatening?'
'Yes. Also we need to take a gift to Alfarinn at the place where I was born. That's where she'll see me again.'
We gathered up all our gear while we talked. It didn't take long. I was the only one with a complete change of clothes. We used some string to tie the mail over the outside of our shields. Now I understood why Old Bjorn had insisted on extra straps and rings around the inside of the shield. When I'd been making it with him I'd complained that it just added weight. Now it was coming in very useful. The mail jangled with each step, it was pleasing.
It was another dry late summer morning. The sun dappled the forest floor through the leaves. In places there were tangles of brambles. Many of these were turning from green to red and then to an almost black. We stopped near one of the bushes to gather some for breakfast.
'Where were you born?'
'Somewhere warmer than here, and with trees.'
'That narrows it down.'
'It's like coming here. I'll know it when I see it.'
'We didn't find her here though'
'Didn't we?' Noren said. 'Where did the girl cone from then?'
'One of her daughters I expect.'
'Alfarinn sent her.'
'I forgot, I haven't shared what Jafnadr told me. She lives nomadically with her daughters and their daughters. She hasn't seen a man since before you were born.'
'What else did Jafnadr tell you?'
I told Noren everything that I knew about his mother, and what had been reported by others as we walked through the forest. I was watching him more than our surroundings, so I was slightly surprised when Noren put his hand on my midriff and pushed me behind him.
'Quiet, Yngvild. Bear.' he said.
I looked out round Noren. In the middle distance a large brown furred bear was advancing through the forest.
'I don't think it's seen us.' I kept my voice low so that the sound didn't carry.
'Let's back off and go round.'
'North or South?' We'd been travelling almost due West, hoping to make Knarvik for another ship.
'North, we'll need to go that way when we hit the coast.'
I turned round slowly so that my mail didn't jangle. As I did I became aware of another bear to our North. It was about half the distance away as the first bear. I tugged on Noren's sleeve. 'Another bear.'
He turned away from me and did a slow full circle.
'There are six bears.' he said.
'That isn't natural.'
'No. It's a test.'
I pulled the bow from where it was slung over my shoulder.
Noren put his hand on my shoulder. 'No. Let me deal with it. It's my test.'
He dropped his shield, sword, rolled blanket and food bag. He turned to face the Northern Bear, which was the closest, and stood looking at it. I watched, glancing over my shoulders every now and then to check none of the other bears were coming closer. Every time I looked back Noren seemed bigger.
The Northern Bear saw us and started to come towards us.
It's walk turned into a determined lope. The other bears had seen us too, their faces fixed in our direction, but no other best moved.
Noren was waving his arms to attract the bear.
It was heading straight for me though.
I stood stock still and prepared to crouch and turn my back on it if it lunged so that the mail covered shield on my back would take the force of the blow.
The bear was running dead at me. I could have shot an arrow into its roaring maw  and it would have come clean out of its behind.
I dropped the shield onto the ground in front of me and braced. My amulet an angry bee. Jafnadr!
Too late.
The bear leapt. Huge claws like daggers reaching for me through treacle.
As I dropped and turned I saw Noren leap at the bear. He was huge and fast.
I curled up under the shield and dreaded the impact. I touched Jafnadr's pommel.
'You are safe, for now.'
I glanced round the shield, dreading what I'd see.
Noren was sat on top of the bear, pinning it's front legs to the ground with his hands, and preventing it from escaping by locking his thighs round it's middle. The bear wasn't taking it lightly and struggled and thrashed.
'Turn back into your own form, sister.' Noren said. 'You're no more bear than I am.'
The bear shrieked and wriggled, but as she did so the form gradually changed back into a woman.
I looked around, the other bears were gone. There was just us and this strange shape shifting woman.
'I bear you no harm.' Noren said.
I stifled a giggle. Had he really intended that? The woman also laughed.
'This isn't a laughing matter.' he said.
'Well you shouldn't use such awful puns then.' she said.
Noren relaxed and got up.
'I believe we are siblings.' Noren offered the woman his hand to get up from the forest floor.
She took his hand and levered herself up from the ground.
'We are. You've passed the first test, but the remaining ones will be more perilous and less obvious.'
'Is there any advice or help that you can offer me?'
She laughed some more.
'Nice try brother, but you need to do this on your own.' she looked at me. 'Who are you?'
'I'm Yngvild, Helgasdotir, and I intend to marry Noren.' I said.
'Good for you, girl. Just make sure he's worth it before you jump in too deep.'
'He's definitely worth it. All I need is for him to realise that.' I said.
'Ooh! You've got a fancy sword, girl. Know how to use it?'
'She's already used it.' Noren said.
'Respect, girl. That's what you demand from the world. Don't take no attitude from anyone. And learn to be a bear...'
'I'll bear that in mind.'
She chuckled. 'Time I was elsewhere, see you in the sun.'
The woman turned and loped off into the forest.

'That was strange.' I said.
'Very. But it gives us some clues. We're on the right track.'
'Where do we go when we get to Knarvik?'
'Somewhere south. She said she'd see us in the sun.'
'That could mean west.'
If I might butt in, Alfinna was here long enough for me to get her name and some information. They've just moved from here and they're going south. I didn't get a place name though, just a familiar winter home.
I thanked Jafnadr.
'South sounds good. See what other clues you get when we reach the port.'

We carried on walking.
'Did you really mean what you said to her?' Noren said.
'What do you think?'
'Do I have to answer that?'
'Only if you want it to be true.'